Thursday lineups: Twins/Rays

PORT CHARLOTTE, FLA. -- The Twins break camp one week from today, and these Grapefruit League games are taking on more intensity.

You can tell from today's lineup, as more and more of their regulars continue to make road trips. Joe Mauer said this is his first road trip since 2008. He was busy packing two bags by his locker this morning and was nervous he might be forgetting something.

Glen Perkins (lower-back strain) said he'll play catch today, as the injury has felt better each day since Monday.

Jose Mijares (bruised right hand) said he's fine and expects to pitch on Friday against the Orioles.

Phil Miller covered three seasons of Twins baseball, but that was at a different ballpark for a different newspaper. Now Miller returns to the baseball beat after joining the Star Tribune as the Gopher football writer in 2010, and he won't miss the dingy dome for a minute. In addition to the Twins and Gophers, Miller covered the Utah Jazz and the NBA for six years at The Salt Lake Tribune.